Israeli occupation forces storm Nablus village, search home

Published today (updated) 14/12/2009 13:52

Nablus – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation forces stormed a house in Beita in southern Nablus in the West Bank early on Monday morning and overturned the property, causing damage, eyewitnesses told Ma'an.

Seven Israeli vehicles raided the village at 1:30am and stormed the house of Jihad Hilal, 36, eyewitnesses said, adding that Israeli forces had police dogs with them.

Witnesses added that Israeli occupation forces damaged the property under the pretext of performing a search, following which Hilal was ordered to present himself at the Huwwara military outpost and has not been seen since.

An Israeli military spokeswoman was unable to comment on the incident.

Soldiers Kidnap Two Children In Northern Gaza

Monday December 14, 2009 10:10 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation soldiers invaded the Industrial Area located near the Erez Crossing, west of Beit Hanoun in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and kidnapped two children. One of them was released after several hours while the second remained in custody.
Soldiers advance approximately 350 meters into northern Gaza while Palestinian workers were trying to remove the rubble of the Industrial Area that was shelled by the army during the war on Gaza earlier this year.

Troops then kidnapped Mahmoud Jamil Al Yaziji, 16, and Mohammad Hatim Al Kafarna, 17. Al Kafarna was released several hours later, while Al Yaziji remained in detention.

A lawyer working with the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reported that Al Yaziji was moved to the Al Majdal prison, and is currently under interrogation.

The Israeli District Court extended his remand until Friday, December 18. The

Al Mezan Center slammed the ongoing Israeli violations against the Gaza Strip and its residents, and demanded the release of all detained children.

The Center further stated that Israel is targeting any Palestinian who approaches the border area, and that it most incident, the army opens fire at the residents or any moving object in an attempt to enforce the so-called ‘security area’ along border areas.

The Center added that several Palestinian workers are trying to collect the rubble of shelled and bombarded areas in order to sell it to concrete factory in order to recycle it as Israel is still preventing the entry of construction materials, including iron and cement.

Rights group: Israeli occupation soldiers kidnap two Gaza teens

Published yesterday (updated) 14/12/2009 09:43

Gaza – Ma’an –

 Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped two Palestinian teenagers on Sunday after entering the ruins of the Erez industrial zone in the northern Gaza Strip, a human rights group said.

The Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights in Gaza said the soldiers detained Mahmoud Jamil Hasan Al-Yazeji, 16, and Mohammad Hatem Qasem Al-Kafarneh, 17 and took them across the border into Israel. Al-Kafarneh was later released, and Al-Yazeji held.

Attorneys from the organization said in a statement that the Israeli occupation army was interrogating Al-Yazeji in a prison in the city of Ashkelon. A court ordered that he be detained until Friday, the lawyers added.

A field investigation carried out by the center found that the teens were working in ruins of the industrial area, breaking apart rubble from destroyed buildings in order to sell the material to brick factories. This practice arose as a result of Israel’s ban on construction materials entering Gaza.

An Israeli military spokesman said he was not familiar with any detentions or arrests in the area on Sunday.

On 18 November Israeli forces also arrested eight Palestinian workers from the industrial area, one of them a child, and took them into Israel. They were released the same day.

The Israeli-controlled joint industrial zone was abandoned by Israel in 2005 and the area was later bombarded by the Israeli military, including in last winter’s war in Gaza.